NZ's most significant wine event launched today

For the Love of New Zealand Pinot Noir

Wellington, October 21

In a memorable ‘taste off’ between journalists and parliamentarians, New Zealand’s most prestigious international wine showcase will be launched at Parliament this evening.

Held every three years since 2001 in Wellington, Pinot Noir 2010 is the southern hemisphere’s most significant Pinot Noir event. And by the time Pinot Noir 2010 kicks off on February 1 next year 100+ of our top wineries will join up to 400 of the world’s most influential wine trade, writers and commentators in four days of wine and food heaven.

“Since the undisputed success of the 2007 event we have been working hard to create the next page in New Zealand’s Pinot Noir story,” said Pinot Noir 2010 Chairman and Villa Maria’s Group Winemaker, Alastair Maling MW.

“In 2007 we said to the wine world ‘come and see for yourself how good we are’ in 2010 we’ll look at our Pinot Noir based on its regional differences, our ability to grow fantastic wine using sustainable growing practices and our ability to create Pinot Noir that develops and matures with age,” he said.

The ability for our Pinot’s to hold true as they age is vitally important to the ongoing success of this tricky to grow variety, says Alastair. So in 2010 this will be put to the test in a never-seen-before formal tasting of a line up of 2003 New Zealand Pinot Noirs.

“We’re tremendously excited at the prospect of this special tasting as well as, once again, being able to attract some world class speakers and delegates,” said Alastair.

“Names like Matthew Jukes, Oz Clarke, Leslie Sbrocco, Nick Stock, Simon Tam and our very own Bob Campbell MW are hugely significant names in the wine world. And when you add them to the likes of Doug Bell, Global Wine Buyer for Wholefoods – a US-based $US8.5 billion turnover organic supermarket chain – you begin to get the significance of the event for New Zealand.”

And the significance of our Pinot Noir will not be lost on two teams of MP’s and Gallery journalists who will be asked to taste and answer questions about the Pinot Noir they are drinking to see whose palate’s are the most refined.

“The winner of the Great New Zealand Pinot Noir Taste Off will, apart from bragging rights, get five tickets to the Grand Public Tasting held as part of the event in February next year to use as they see fit,” says Alastair.

“Pinot Noir is a hugely popular and influential grape in the wine world – largely because of the mystique that surrounds its growing and the wine that it produces.

“We are blessed in New Zealand to have the regional climates, terroir and winemakers who are passionate about growing great Pinot. We also thank Government for its continued support of what is truly an iconic New Zealand wine and food event.”

ENDS

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List of participating wineries for Pinot Noir 2010 –
locations based on where wineries grow Pinot Noir:

Auckland (1 winery)

Kumeu River Wines Ltd

Hawkes Bay (3 wineries)

Lime Rock Wines
Matariki Wines Limited
Vidal Estate

Wairarapa/Martinborough (17 wineries)

Alana Estate Martinborough
Ata Rangi
Burnt Spur
Craggy Range Winery
Dry River
Escarpment Vineyard Martinborough
Gladstone Vineyard
Johner Estate
Julicher Estate
Martinborough Vineyard Estates Ltd
Palliser Estate Wines
Schubert Wines
Te Hera Estate
Te Kairanga Wines Ltd
Urlar (Thompsons Trail)
Vynfields
Wycroft Vineyard

Marlborough (37 wineries)

Ara Wines
Ager Sectus Wine Estates Ltd
Allan Scott Family Winemakers
Auntsfield Estate
Blind River
Bouldevines
Cape Campbell Wines Ltd
Churton
Clos Henri Limited
Cloudy Bay
Delta Wine Company
Dog Point Vineyard
Fairhall Downs Estate Wines
Foxes Island Wines
Fromm Winery
Grove Mills
Hans Herzog Estate/Hans Family Estate
Jackson Estate
Montana Wines
Mud House Wines
Nautilus Estate
Odyssey Wines
Oyster Bay Wines - Delegat's Wine Estate
Sacred Hill Wines
Seresin Estate
Spy Valley
Staete Landt Vineyard
Stoneleigh
Terravin Wines
Te Whare Ra Wines
Tohu Wines
Triplebank
Vavasour Wines Ltd
Villa Maria Estate
Waihopai River Vineyard
Westbrook Winery
Wither Hills

Nelson (5 wineries)

Greenhough Vineyard
Neudorf Vineyards
Rimu Grove Winery
Te Mania Wines
Woollaston Estates Ltd

Canterbury/Waipara (10 wineries)

Alan McCorkindale Ltd
Bell Hill Vineyard
Bracken’s Order
Camshorn
Kaituna Valley
Mountford Estate
Muddy Water
Pegasus Bay Winery
Pyramid Valley
Mt Beautiful Wines

Central Otago (33 wineries)

Akarua Winery
Amisfield Wine Company
Anthem Wine Company
Bald Hills
Carrick
Chard Farm
De Vine Wines
Desert Heart Wines
Domain Road
Felton Road
Gibbston Valley Wines
Grasshopper Rock
Hawkshead Wine
Kawarau Estate
Mondillo Vineyards Limited
Mount Edward Winery
Mt Difficulty Wines Ltd
Nevis Bluff Wines
Olssens
Peregrine
Pisa Range Estate
Prophet's Rock
Quartz Reef
Rippon Vineyard and Winery
Rockburn Wines Ltd
Tarras Vineyards
Thornbury Wines
Valli Vineyards
Van Asch Wines / FreeFall Wine Company Ltd
Waitiri Creek Wines
Wild Earth Wines
Wild Rock Wine Company
Wooing Tree

www.pinotnoir2010.co.nz

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